Add a post count to user names / accounts....?

[DragonWithAGirlTattoo]

I was thinking that to see if someone is a real 'long term user of MN, you know penis beaker and penguin bollards..." we could have a post count added to user names / accounts....?

so mine would say [DragonWithAGirlTattoo (350)] or [OneOfMyOtherUserNames (350)] using my active name and counting ALL my posts, but without linking to any of my usernames


just a thought...

[Thurlow]

I was thinking this the other day, with all the discussion of name changes and the like.

I'm not sure about number of posts, but I do wonder whether a "date joined" note would be useful. That way you'd at least feel more confident about someone who said they were long-term but had name changed, and you could see instantly if someone had joined that day.

[DragonWithAGirlTattoo]

i thought 'date joined' - but personally, long term lurkers can be trolls too, if someone had a lot of posts i would be less likely to think they were trolling...

just my thoughts

[YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet]

Hi there

Thanks, that's an interesting suggestion and one we will mull over at MNHQ. We'd be vair interested to hear what other people think and also if anyone could foresee any problems with a post count from their own point of view?

[Smellyoulateralligator]

I don't see what the point of this would be at all. Is this to assist in troll-hunting?

[ophiotaurus]

You can select to show when you joined in your profile. If you click on my name you can see when I joined. But it only works if you have a public profile.

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

I think it's Money Saving Expert that has a little flashing icon for new posters, presumably so people are a little more patient? Dunno - might work here though!

[WixingMords]

Yes it can be useful, in regards to a troll. I've used a site where there were post counts and it was easier to spot those that had just registered to make some made post. Problem with that site was that you couldn't name change, and if there was something you wanted to go anon for then you had to make a new account and people might thing you were a troll!!! So if the post count could b carried across it'd be useful

There were a handful of posters that got weirdly obsessed with their post count and how much better it made them than other posters, or vise versa!

[FruChristerOla]

I think that 'date joined' is a good idea. There's another forum I use where this is under the user's name (but I don't think it has the facility for NCing).

Actually, 'number of posts' isn't a bad idea either - although that doesn't take into account the 'plurkers'.

[rockybalboa]

I think it's a great idea. Especially if the post count remains the same irrespective of what name a poster is posting under.

[RedRugNoniMouldiesEtc]

I suspect a lot of people would be very upset about the number of posts they had made I remember there was a way to find it out via Google many moons ago, it was very scary!

How about a traffic light system? So members of under, say 2 months have their names in 1 colour, 1 year another over 2 another? I'm not sure I'd be happy about having specific information like a joined date or post count. Again seems a bit ticker ish

[FruChristerOla]

Yes, agreed, it should be right that the post count should show the number of posts - irrespective of name changes.

I've been here for some years, but have had various NNs over the years. So I'd rather it showed, say, 10,000 posts (for all of my NNs) rather than, say, 700 posts in this particular NN.

[cozietoesie]

I wouldn't mind it at all - but might it be better if it was transmogrified by some formula to something like New Member or Community Member? (Or some agreed description according to the experience of the poster under whatever version of their name.)

That could cater for people who had - say - joined a few years back but hadn't posted extensively - even though they might have read many threads and know a fair bit about the site. It could also prevent people counting post numbers - I dare say there might be some who would want to try and identify people under name changes.

I think it's a fair idea in principle - just the details to be worked out probably.

[ThomasRichard]

I'd prefer a post count to the date joined. Date joined makes it very easy to identify name-changes, which rather defies the point.

[MixedMessages]

Doesn't really help re those that reg de-reg...

[treaclesoda]

I'm not sure about it tbh. I can see why it appeals but I also think one of the good things about this site is that when you don't need to be intimidated by the fact that the poster in front of you has posted 5000 times and you're only new.

[FruChristerOla]

Oh, that's a good idea cozie . Another forum I use has something like bronze, silver, and gold members (indicating their length of membership and posting history).

But - lovely idea though it is - then we could end up with the 'Mumsnet Royalty' dramas again?

[MaggieJoyBlunt]

On balance, probably a good idea.

BUT if it's done, it would probably be wise to implement it as 'bands' of post numbers (0-100, 100-500, 500-1000, 1000-1500 etc) - or similar colour coded bands - otherwise, if actual no. of posts is shown, it would be too easy to track people despite NCs. There seems to be a broad consensus that NCs are legitimate and part of MN so they shouldn't be jeopardised.

[cozietoesie]

It could be down to 'date ranges', Thomas - a sort of 'Under 1 Year', 1-3 years' etc etc.

There is that, treacle.

[INeedSomeHelp]

I've been a member for a number of years now but don't post regularly although I read posts every day.
I would hate to think that l might be named as a troll just because my thread count hasn't reached whatever magical number someone thinks is acceptable.

[MaggieJoyBlunt]

I think MSE (for eg) has both - a shiny newbie avatar that goes away x amount of time after registration plus a mechanism for indicating posting enthusiasm. So even if you don't post much, your non-newbie status is clear after a while.

[DragonWithAGirlTattoo]

i was thinking that if someone was posting something that made your spider senses tingle, if you saw they had x posts might make you think about whether to report or not (or even answer in some cases)

[cozietoesie]

So what it's boiling down to is how the post count would influence people reading the posts rather than the content of the posts themselves?

[DoILookLikeIGiveAFuck]

If a group of posters all have thousands of posts, won't that just make people think 'royalty' is piling in?

I understand that the Powers That Be are very anti-regular posters now.

Much better to disallow name changes. Period.

[Pointlessfan]

I think something like this would be a good idea. I like the idea of it being a post count but in categories eg. Under 500 and so on.

[cozietoesie]

Sorry - for 'post count' read eg 'Community Status' however that is to be defined eg in terms of posts or length of membership - or both.